Differences Between an 18 Wheeler Accident and a Car Accident

Car accidents kill 1.35 million Americans each year and injure 3 million more. And as deadly as ordinary auto accidents are, commercial trucking accidents are even deadlier to drivers involved. Commercial trucks such as 18 wheelers are involved in more than 500,000 crashes every year, resulting in catastrophic injuries and deaths. But what are the significant differences between an 18 wheeler accident and a car accident claim? What are your legal options following a truck accident in Van Horn? If you’ve been seriously hurt in a big rig crash in Van Horn, Texas, you need to consult a qualified personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

But do you know why car accident lawyers are not the same as Van Horn 18 wheeler accident attorneys? Do you know how to find the right attorney after your wreck? If you’re looking for more information, read on to learn what our Carabin Shaw experts want you to know!

Many people think that car accident lawyers and 18 wheeler accident lawyers are both qualified to handle big rig crashes. This is not true! Why? Because 18 wheeler accidents are very different from ordinary car crashes. You need an expert who knows the differences between an 18 Wheeler accident and a car accident. Here are just a few major differences:

• 18 wheeler crashes are litigated at both the state and federal level. Commercial truckers are subject to different laws than ordinary drivers—they have to follow federal trucking guidelines that dictate hours of service, cargo loading, and much more. Because of this, all 18 wheeler accident cases are litigated at both the state and federal level—whereas the great majority of car crashes are handled only at the state level.
• 18 wheeler crashes generally cause greater devastation. A fully loaded 18 wheeler can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds. So it’s no surprise that these trucks cause immense injuries when they collide with smaller vehicles. The size discrepancy between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles means that these wrecks often cause extreme injury, or even death, to passengers and drivers. And in many cases, the truck drivers themselves walk away unharmed.
• 18 wheeler drivers have great lawyers. Trucking companies are often multimillion or even multibillion-dollar corporations. And as such, these companies employ massive legal teams whose main objective is to protect the companies from liability when their drivers get into crashes. If you’re going up against a trucking company, it is crucial to choose the best lawyer you can find—preferably someone at a larger firm. Small law firms simply will not have the legal or financial resources to take on a trucking company’s legal team successfully. And remember—the lawyer you choose may end up making or breaking your case.

Call our Van Horn 18 wheeler accident attorneys today for a free consultation. The attorneys at Carabin Shaw have more than 200 years of combined legal experience, and our firm specializes in commercial vehicle accidents in Texas. So if you’ve been in a big rig wreck, we want to help you. And best of all, we offer all new clients a no cost, no obligation consultation with one of our Van Horn accident lawyers.

If you’re ready to take the next step and find out your legal options, we’re ready to take your call today. Our knowledgeable attorneys serving Van Horn, Texas want to help you get compensation and justice you deserve after an 18 wheeler wreck. To find out how our Van Horn accident lawyers can help in the aftermath of your truck accident in Van Horn, call us today at 1-800-862-1260 to receive a free consultation with an expert attorney.